Les Coulisses

Although essentially a painter of women and renowned for that, Etienne Drian also depicted figures, portraits, still-lifes and was a watercolourist, etcher, illustrator and theatre designer.

He worked with several theatre revues then became involved with illustrating periodicals with first La Gazette du Bon Ton before 1914 and then Fémina, L’Illustration, Le Journal des Dames et des Modes and Flirt which were mainly fashion magazines aimed at women who needed to know exactly what type of outfit to wear at different times of day or at certain functions. These had titles such as “La Femme à la Eventail”, “Robe de Linon”, “La dernière rose: robe d’après-midi de Redfern”, “Dieu! Qu’il fait froid…:manteau d’hiver de Paul Poiret”, “Lassitude: robe de dîner de Paul Poiret” and “Que vas-tu faire?”

He provided the illustrations also for several books including among others Les Contes de Perrault, the romances of Jean Lorrain and Henri Régnier and the works of Sacha Guitry.
During the Second World War he published “Les Français pendant La Guerre”

Parisian women were his principal love and source of subject matter and above all, he represented his friend Cécile Sorel in elegant poses

In 1931 he designed the costumes and décor for the theatrical spectacular Le Casino de Paris.